High altitude unmanned aircraft are desirable for a wide variety of operational missions. Such missions include classic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), communications and data relay, psychological operations such as TV or radio transmissions to inaccessible locations (PsyOps), reconstituting capability (recovery from a hostile action against a satellite fleet), disaster recovery (such as post-hurricane scenarios that require quick surveillance and communications infrastructure), atmospheric and weather monitoring, anti-satellite weapons (ASAT), electronics intelligence (intelligence derived from the interception of non-communication electromagnetic signals) (ELINT), signals intelligence (intelligence-gathering by the interception of signals) (SIGINT), cameras for strip mapping, or mapping sensors, such as for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service maps.
Each mission has a unique payload associated with that mission. Typically, such aircraft payloads are in the form of one or more antennas, which can be mounted in various locations on an aircraft, support equipment, which is carried in the fuselage, and extensive wiring that connects the antennas with the support equipment. The support equipment includes various trays, racks and the like, as well as the computers, data processing hardware, data storage units and the like.
The climb to altitude for such aircraft can require a significant amount of fuel, so it is desirable that the aircraft be able to maintain its station (i.e., approximate altitude and location) for a long time. Light weight is therefore advantageous. Nevertheless, such aircraft need the versatility to quickly adapt to the wide variety of missions that they may be required to fill.
Accordingly, there has existed a need for an aircraft that can readily adapt to a wide range of mission requirements, and yet be light enough to maintain station for long periods of time. Preferred embodiments of the present invention satisfy these and other needs, and provide further related advantages.